2008 Woodie Awards
Revamped Farm Bill up for debate
Alex Boles
Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: News
The United States Congress will decide tomorrow whether to accept the 2007 Farm Bill into legislation or remain with current law.
Tara Smith, director of congressional relations to the American Farm Bureau, said $280 billion is being distributed with the new Farm Bill during a period of five years.
The 2007 Farm Bill also introduces reforms to many aspects of the 2002 Bill including changes to farm commodities programs, nutrition programs in schools including breakfasts, snacks and lunches, conservation and crop subsidy programs.
Smith said the most important issue varies according to who is asked.
"I think everybody - when they talk about the Farm Bill - I think folks think about Title 1, which is the commodity title," Smith said. "It's the part of the Farm Bill that has sort of the safety net for farmers."
Smith stressed that the bill has many titles other than commodities. The bill has 14 titles, according to a summary on the House Committee on Agriculture's Web site, but Title 1 is the only one that applies to the traditional crop farmer, which includes crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat, she said.
"If you're a specialty crop grower, there's really nothing in Title 1 for you," Smith said. "If you're a livestock producer, Title 1 doesn't apply to you, and you're going to think that other areas like the conservation title are more important. It just kind of depends on what kind of farmer you are."
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed individual versions of the Farm Bill in 2007 that President George W. Bush said allotted too much new money to the programs, according to a summary of the Farm Bill conference by the House Agriculture Committee.
Smith said permanent farm bill law dates back to 1938 and 1949.
"Every farm bill written since then has sort of been a short-term amendment to that permanent law from the '30s and '40s, so once those amendments expire, everything goes back to permanent law, and it automatically reverts back, so we currently have a short-term extension," Smith said.
Tara Smith, director of congressional relations to the American Farm Bureau, said $280 billion is being distributed with the new Farm Bill during a period of five years.
The 2007 Farm Bill also introduces reforms to many aspects of the 2002 Bill including changes to farm commodities programs, nutrition programs in schools including breakfasts, snacks and lunches, conservation and crop subsidy programs.
Smith said the most important issue varies according to who is asked.
"I think everybody - when they talk about the Farm Bill - I think folks think about Title 1, which is the commodity title," Smith said. "It's the part of the Farm Bill that has sort of the safety net for farmers."
Smith stressed that the bill has many titles other than commodities. The bill has 14 titles, according to a summary on the House Committee on Agriculture's Web site, but Title 1 is the only one that applies to the traditional crop farmer, which includes crops such as corn, soybeans and wheat, she said.
"If you're a specialty crop grower, there's really nothing in Title 1 for you," Smith said. "If you're a livestock producer, Title 1 doesn't apply to you, and you're going to think that other areas like the conservation title are more important. It just kind of depends on what kind of farmer you are."
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed individual versions of the Farm Bill in 2007 that President George W. Bush said allotted too much new money to the programs, according to a summary of the Farm Bill conference by the House Agriculture Committee.
Smith said permanent farm bill law dates back to 1938 and 1949.
"Every farm bill written since then has sort of been a short-term amendment to that permanent law from the '30s and '40s, so once those amendments expire, everything goes back to permanent law, and it automatically reverts back, so we currently have a short-term extension," Smith said.
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